Haunted By Paraphernailia
by ExoticOnyx
Summary: Prequel to Like A Boy: Uriko and Kenji are married and everything's going great besides Kenji's odd behavior, strange things seem to happen almost constantly and Uriko doesn't know how to help her Husband. She tries to pull him back to his senses but all her plans are ineffective as Kenji began to lose pieces of his former self, the only option left is his life must be annihilated.
1. Prisoner

**Haunted By Paraphernalia**

Summary: Prequel to Like a Boy; Kenji and Uriko are married now and life is beyond perfect, except for Kenji's behavior. Kenji battles a sickness that runs through his veins and he fights a piece of him he can never lose without harming the one's he love; Uriko is confused about the entire issue and is willing to help her Husband anyway she can. The results of his diabolical curse can send Kenji on a life threatening edge and questioning his thoughts about trust, love and responsibility. The only problem is each one has a devastating outcome that Kenji may just have to end his life for the sake of his family.

(A/N): I'm back, thanks to a hiatus away from work and school, YES! But only for temporary reasons; a specific Turkey Day, then a weekend! Finally! After Like a Boy, I felt as if there was still more to this story than just a happily ever after; you know, before this was born. Ha-ha, anyway I'll get onto the story starting off at the beginning of their marriage other than starting after a few years down the line, that's too boring. Oh, not only am I debating on the rating but this story may contain explicit language, mature content and uncensored scenes. Don't flame me for not warning you… Anyway, here we go with part 1 of Prisoner.

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**1**

**Prisoner**

Under the cherry blossom tree; full of life with well bloomed Sakura's Uriko took in the amazing beauty as a gentle breeze whispery cradled every sense of feeling by the feather like touch that was the wind, lightly grazing across her body. She felt safe and secure and a touch of happiness overtook her; a petal from the beautiful flower fell from its budded roots and flew to Uriko, sliding over her cheek. Taking the abandon petal and caressing its delicate features just before the wind picked up and the petal she collected flew away. Just then, hundreds of petals began to fall from their buds and swarm around Uriko; she lifted her arms high in the air and slowly twirled underneath the happy place presence as she inhaled the essence gifted smells the blossoms ushered onto her. _'This is the best day of my life.'_ The young feline thought truthfully, if only she could stay and savor this time perpetually. As the breeze slowed so did the petal of Sakura's began to cease, Uriko could express how much she loved this moment, but didn't want to bask away from the environment ambiance; it was until gentle, male dominate hands engulfed themselves around her curvy silhouette form and a lean but rippled body pressed into her from behind.

"Guess who?" was the sound of the man's strong, mature enough voice. Uriko smiled and buried deeper into her newlywed husband, Kenji.

"Hey, Kenji." Uriko said peacefully. Uriko could feel Kenji's smile as his face pressed against her cheek; he lowered his head down some to tenderly place his lips; in a kissing way on her creamy, soft shoulder, before amiably kissing her solicitously on the gape of her neck. She turned towards him as they smiled at each other in an ardently sensual way before he asked, "So, how are you enjoying the last day of our honeymoon?"

"Kenji, this is perfect! You know I've always wanted to take this trip and see this parks beauty before we go back home! Thank you so much!" (A/N: If you've ever seen Memoirs of a Geisha; when she meets with the Chairmen again in the park around the Sakura's, then the park Uriko is referring to looks just like that one.) Kenji's smiled widened at her blissful exhilaration; he knew he made the right choice when he gave Skylar that call –Kenji and Yugo helped him jump his car- to ask him about this location after he and Uriko returned from China.

"Anything for my lovely wife." Kenji eagerly said back. When Uriko smiled and slightly blushed at the comment Kenji couldn't help but think, _'Man, I'm going to love saying that.'_ Kenji then reached over his head and plucked one of the Sakura flowers from off the branch and tucked it in her long, flowing and lighter than brown hair. "Now you have a piece of the Sakura's with you, even if it's only temporary." Uriko continued smiling and cupped Kenji's face in her hands before kissing him with love stricken intensity. When she pulled away, he could see the ardor lingering in her beautiful brown eyes. "I love you, Kenji."

"And I love you, Uriko." They kissed each other once more before strolling away from the tree, hand in hand. Uriko rested her head against his shoulder closing her eyes with a little smile playing over her face and thought, _'I pray this marriage will forever stay this way.' _She snuggled closely to her Husband as they continued walking away from the park all the way back to the vehicle.

_Later that evening…_

Uriko and Kenji had just returned to their home no less than an hour ago. While the newlyweds were out of town, Mitsuko, Alice and Yugo went out their way to buy them a new house, A'Niyah designed the house, applied the furniture and had created it to the young couples imaginary image; she did it as a thank you implication for introducing her to her new husband Andrew and reminding her that she didn't have to endure the life of a stripper. Instead, she became a full time student, like Uriko; in College majoring in interior design. Kenji already had a full time job working with Yugo at the W.O.C., making more than enough money to support him and Uriko. The house and furnishes were a mere present to them both, and after leaving China; before going to the park, they were able to see the house before they took the trip.

Kenji removed his shirt from his body as Uriko removed her flower and undid her braid, she sat Indian style on the bed they shared and combed her hair of any tangles that was present. Kenji tossed his shirt into an empty laundry basket before walking to the bathroom and running bath water, he had a special treat for Uriko that night, at least sort of. _'She's lucky I'm doing this.' _Kenji thought as he placed bubble soap in the water before groaning in misery, "I don't do bubble baths." Kenji said aloud, his masculine dilemma begging him to reconsider the feminine use of bubbles in a tub. Quickly brushing off his disgusted attitude towards the filth that surfaced the uprising water he retrieved a box from a nearby linen closet before striding back to the water. Opening the box and making sure the coast was clear of intruding brown eyes he scooped the rose petals from inside the box and tossed each of them on the cloudy, bubbly substance; he threw more pieces around the bathroom floor until the entire box was empty. Once that was over, he walked to the other side of the bathroom and pulled out thick candles that didn't need a holster before lighting them with a lighter. Placing each different candle around the room for bathing; he then afterwards walked to the sink opening a clear containment; along with the sides of melted chocolate and wiped cream; the first containment held ripe to the core strawberries.

He knew the strawberries were ripe and juicy because before he bought them he tried one; he wanted to make sure that his time with his wife was absolutely perfect, if any flaws came about they were only minor and would be taken care of infinitesimally. He had a bottle that resembled a Champagne glass in a bucket like structure material filled with ice and two wine glasses,_ 'This day is going to be special for the both of us.'_ Kenji thought with a smile. He placed the remote on the tray on the opposite side of the tub to flip through each track song, but he didn't turn on the stereo system, otherwise that'll be a dead giveaway, so instead he unscrewed the top on the bottle and was pouring both glasses with the liquid when Uriko called out for him. "Baby?"

She startled him for a moment that he almost wasted the drink. He set the drinks down on the tray next to him and screwed the top back on promptly before calling back to her, "Yeah, what's up, honey?" He tried to use his voice to drown out the noise when he placed the bottle back in the bucket of ice and walked out of the bathroom; closing the door behind him and seeing what his tiny wife was doing.

She still had on her clothes; tight white spaghetti strap shirt and around the thigh, navy blue shorts with her long hair wrapped in a Chinese bun with Chinese hairstyle sticks. Her back was to him as she rummaged through her drawers for her sleeping attire and under clothes. "I was wondering if you were done in the bathroom so I can wash up." Discovering what she planned to wear she walked to Kenji who was protectively guarding the entrance to the bathroom.

"Not very likely, I have a surprise for you?" Kenji said, still blocking the way. Uriko smiled at him, "A surprise? Like what?" She questioned in her jittery voice. Not moving from his location, Kenji stretched his length to a nearby dresser that had the blindfold he purchased. "You'll see." Was all he said before he placed the textile fabric over her eyes.

Uriko couldn't stop the excitement that washed over her, she already had a lovely two week honeymoon and now she was being treated in their home, talk about exciting! Once the blindfold was over her eyes Kenji waved his hand in her face to make sure she couldn't see a thing before he descended the door. He guided her into the bathroom making sure her feet surpassed the rose petals covering the floor until they reached their intended location. "Okay, now don't take off the blindfold when I left go of your hand." He told her.

"Okay, I got it." She responded, clueless as to what was going on.

"Alright, now don't move... Don't move, just stay right there and don't move." Kenji informed her once more after he released her hand and began to remove the remaining pieces of clothing still strapped on his body, before proceeding to get inside of the mildly hot tub water. Once he was inside and everything seemed prepared he spoke to her again, "Okay, now you can take the blindfold off."

Uriko used her free hand that didn't have access to holding her material wear and undid the fold. It didn't take long for her mind to assimilate the scenery and she gasped at the romantic moment that presented itself. "You did all this... for me?" Uriko questioned as she glanced at the work etched into the bathroom.

"Every last bit." Kenji coolly responded.

Uriko glanced back at him and smiled, she loved it all, the seductive food, the lustful drinks, the amorous rose petals, the enveloping bubbles... Then it hit her like a ton of bricks and her smile effectively bounced its way off her face. She was going to join Kenji in the tub, naked?! In those two weeks they spent in China, away from home on their honeymoon, the couple never went as far as kissing and touching, this will be the first time they've been together naked, the first time they've been engaged in any form of washing together, the first time he will actually see Uriko naked! Yes, Uriko still haven't had sex with him; it was the farthest thing from her mind and the only thing she has been prepared for was being head over heels in love with him, not masking her way into intimacy. She dropped the clothes in her hands and dumb-fondly asked, "So, we're supposed to get in the tub together?"

"Well, how else would we treat each other?" He remarked with a tiny giggle added along to his statement. Uriko felt nervous, she really didn't intend on this, she was still an amateur. "So are you getting in or are you going to wash yourself with your clothes on?" Kenji asked.

Uriko sighed barely loud enough for a whisper and put on a tough girl act to show Kenji that this was no big deal to her, but deep down inside she took it overboard with a dramatic conscience. She slowly pulled her shirt off over her head before moving down to her shorts, from the corner of her eye she could see Kenji's hungry wolf eyes stalk her motions as she began to strip off her clothing. Down to the last pieces of censorship, she looked into his eyes and she could see determination somewhere within to at least have a quick glance at her blessings. She prayed over and over in her mind that he would at least turn his attention away from her and at least give her the privilege to swiftly disrobe and jump in the tub without him peeping so hard. As if her prayers have been answered Kenji snapped his fingers before voicing, "Oh, crap. I knew I was forgetting something." Kenji turned his body to the right side of the tub retrieving the remote to the stereo system. Uriko quickly sent a thank you prayer to thy dear father and immediately removed the rest of her clothing before entering the tub.

She still wasn't comfortable about the whole thing; she sat far away from his body and pressed her legs into her chest. When a soft, melodic song began to play Kenji placed the remote back onto the tray and looked at Uriko questionably. "Honey?"

"Hum?" Uriko said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Why are you all the way over there, come here?" Kenji said back in a gentle voice that sort of eased the tensions pinching at her nerves. When she didn't move it began to make Kenji wonder. "What are you afraid or something? I'm not going to do anything to you, you know."

Uriko scoffed at him, "I'm not afraid, I was waiting for you to give me the say so on when I can get next to you."

"You don't need me to give you a signal, just come here so I can love on you." Kenji said as he bent forward a little, strapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Uriko didn't mind the position, she loved being next to him it was just the fact that what she felt pressing against her skin sent her a nerve-wracking, un-ending chill down her spine; she could tell he obviously wasn't trying to provoke her or rush her because he was flaccid but also had his moments of getting excited which switch to cease because of her tensing up; anyway, even though he was 'trying' to be a gentleman, it was just the fact that she knew something was there that had her un-calm.

He pulled the back-side of her body into his chest and allowed her head to lay against him with their fingers entwined in one another. Moments passed by slowly as they laid pressed against each other, him gently stroking her smooth skin and she ran her thumb pad finger against his hand and every once in a while return a kiss somewhere on him when he left a kiss behind on her; in between those times they began to eat the fruit and drink the beverage until everything was gone and empty. Uriko was used to being cuddled up naked with her husband by now but when the bubbles in the tub began to dissolve she panicked. She sprang up from her comfortable position; Kenji had a confused look on his face until Uriko pulled a wash cloth and held the soap in her hands. "Uhh, this waters starting to get a little cold, how about we wash up, okay?" Uriko was expecting a response, but the look in Kenji's face said something she either didn't want to admit or understand, so before she could apply the_ now_ soapy rag to lather her skin, Kenji seized her wrist.

She gave him a questioning look when he took the rag from her grasp and began to wash her instead of her washing herself. He was so gentle with her that her nervousness escaped her body and –now faced him, both of them elevated on their knees- she rested her head against his bare, solid chest. She listened to the sounds of his heartbeat; each beat seem to beat for her, imprinting that she was his, there was no harm to come about how she was his everything, he loved her unconditionally and she had no reason to fear him because he was never in a rush. Uriko felt foolish about doubting how he would ever mistreat her in any way that she found herself lathering up a rag to wash him in return...

_And Then…_

After the intoxicating bath, Uriko and Kenji returned to their bedroom; clothed and relaxed in its warm cushioned sanctuary. She was resting and curled against him as he gently began to cosset her skin with intense tenderness; Uriko was slowly falling asleep on the movie they were watching. About several minutes after she drifted off to sleep, Kenji glanced over to her and smiled at her tantalizing features. She was a beauty disguised in a young woman's body; he was so happy to claim her, happy to call her his, happy to say that he loved her. He was so immerse with the love he administered to her that he found himself slowly approaching her lips with his. _"All I need is one taste, one taste from the lovely Mrs. Uriko!"_ Kenji said inside of his mind, but it wasn't the voice he expected to hear; it was deeper, more dedicated to a man's tongue than a teenager. The voice scared him that he backed away from Uriko; not his body but his face. He thought maybe she was messing with him in a bad impersonation of a man's voice, but he could see she was sound asleep. _'Then what was that?' _Kenji thought to himself.

He shook off the thought and returned to embracing his wife who snuggled even closer to him almost purring by the comfortable environment he accommodated for her. As Kenji dreadfully tried to repudiate his earlier encounter, he couldn't shake off the feeling of that voice, but why? He sighed breathlessly as he glanced back over to Uriko; he made himself more comfortable against his wife and positioned himself to hold her while he slept beside her. As if it were a horror movie, Kenji saw a reflection; without a mirror; of a man who looked just like him. He had strange bloody red eyes, an evil look that masked his face and his hair was a strange nylon color; his face was in between him and Uriko's; removing his true love from his sights and that same deep manly voice he heard earlier screamed at him, "_Kenji!_" Kenji screamed and threw himself away from Uriko's body; awaking the young feline at that moment and making him fall out of the bed.

"Kenji!" Uriko called out to him, peering at him on all fours on the bed. Kenji looked over the edge of the mattress sort of terrified, as he looked this way and that for that impostures face. He started breathing in a heaving like matter rather heavily, with his long bangs covering most of his face like a sheep dog.

"Kenji?" Uriko called to him again, this time startling him, she looked at him in confusion. "What's the matter with you? Are you okay? What's wrong?" She asked, as she crawled over to him still in the bed and cupped his face with both of her hands.

Kenji mentally shook himself and looked into his wife's curious brown gaze. He shook his head at her and pulled her into his arms. "It's nothing, I thought I saw something." He told her.

"You sure weren't acting like it was nothing." Uriko heard herself respond, as she embraced him showing that she was here for him.

Kenji closed his eyes for a split second and heard a tiny, barely audible whisper coming from behind his wife. He averted his eyes in that direction and a complete look alike of him with that same face was laid out relaxed on his side, with a pool of blood underneath his body; a full wine glass of the same crimson color; his hair was tangled and soaked with blood dripping from every strand, from there down blood covered his frame along with a droplet falling from the corner of his lips. As if that wasn't the only devastating part, there laid another man in front of him; his head was disassembled from his body, his eyes were rolled to the back of his head, but they weren't white like you would expect it to be, they were blood shot as blood poured from the crevices of his eyes. His jaw line was pulled apart, as if somebody put their hands in his mouth and ripped it as far as it could go along with his tongue which was also ripped almost completely out of his body; exposing its long length that normally wasn't seen by the naked eye. His body was twisted in an unexplainable manner, and all joints were distributed among the bed. Kenji felt the urge to regurgitate, as his Amber victim of eye's drifted back to the twin like man. His face aligned itself with an evil smirk as he raised the glass to Kenji telling him, "_Have fun, little man!_" Kenji's face was swallowed with disgust as he dropped his arms from around Uriko and took off running outside the house. Uriko chased him outside, calling his name from the doorway when Kenji's Mole Zoanthrope body morphed and escaped from her questionable sights...

_That Next Day…_

"And you didn't sleep with him? What, are you waiting for Dr. Phil or Oprah to give you the say so?" Arias retorted back to Uriko. She was carrying a deep glass pan that held meatloaf within it on her oven-mitten hands. Uriko had stopped by and ask the brain of the couple, Jashad -who knew almost any and everything about different things-, could predict what could be affecting her puzzling mind since the dramatic scene between her and Kenji the night before. Jashad rolled his eyes at his wife and said, "Arias, our friend is dealing with curiosity about her husband's problem that occurred the night before; not sexual advise from television entertainers."

Arias placed the hot glass on the oven mittens that was pressed against the table before saying, "No, just hear me out for a second. It could be that Kenji is probably just stressed."

Jashad furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as Uriko gave her a hearty laugh, "Why in the world would Kenji be stressed? Everything's fine between us?"

"Yeah, it might be fine to you because you're still a Virgin. Think, lady; he's been working full-time at that job of his since High School, paying bills, this, that and the other, you two just got married which another responsibility he has to carry on his shoulders…" Arias said.

"How is that another responsibility?" Uriko questioned.

"First off, he's still young and secondly he has to provide happiness for you and work hard, but not spending too much time at work so it could seem like he's putting his job before his woman. That issue, right there is causing stress to keep all of you happy for better or worse. With the amount of stress on a man, it causes tension on him and his testosterone levels build up; now with Kenji being such a sweetheart and a gentleman to you, waiting for either the right moment or when you're ready makes it worse because he has to restrain himself from sexual intimacy. It _could_ explain the reason as to why he took off running from you yesterday, because the effects to release tension and stress can't or won't engage anytime soon that he had to get away."

Uriko denied telling the two about the transformation so she kept that from them; Arias, on the other hand, made a solid point that Jashad raised his eyebrows in acceptance. "She might be right; but it's either that or something else, he could just be keeping stuff from you to keep you from worrying about him, it's just a common guy thing, they don't want their significant other worried about them so they keep it to themselves. He probably has some skeleton's hidden in his closet that are harmful to you as well as it is to him that he just don't want you to know about yet because you two did just get married."

"Maybe…" Uriko said off into the distance, reminiscing over what happened that night.

"Try being sexy for him tonight or later on down the line… I mean, it's going to happen eventually, you know the whole sex issue." Arias said setting the table; Uriko looked scared after she said that which caused Jashad to intervene, "_OR_, when he gets home tonight talk to him about what happened, get more open with him."

Uriko looked back down at her table mat before nodding her head, "Okay, I'll try." Both stories seemed satisfying enough; except the whole sex thing, it seems all her questions were answered, especially since Kenji didn't come home at all last night. _'If there was anything going on with Kenji why wouldn't he tell me? Of course I will try to help him; he is my husband after all. And if anything was going on why wouldn't he tell me about this earlier when we were just friends? Maybe it's nothing, maybe he is stressed about our new life and I just haven't known it yet.'_ The puzzling new information Uriko was retrieving and interrogations unanswered by the prime source made Uriko depressed that she folded her arms over the table and made a sad face as she rested her chin on her forearm.

Jashad sat across the table from the young feline and watched her morose emotion. "What's the problem, little lady?" He asked her.

Uriko sighed before responding, "I really don't know, I thought everything was going great but now I feel as if it's my fault."

"Why would it be your fault?"

"Anything could be going wrong with Kenji and I feel like I'm the source that broke the camel's back."

"Well, at least you're concerned about him, but you aren't the source that broke the camel's back because you two aren't separated, he's not blaming you for anything and I know for sure that whatever's going through that guy's head right now has nothing to do with you."

Uriko stared at Jashad with sad kitten eyes. "You really think so?"

Jashad nodded his head, "Of course. That kid really loves you; no doubt about it." Uriko was about to say something but Jashad cut her off. "If you're thinking what I'm thinking then I'll just tell you, I know. I know that Kenji does care about you a lot; that night you got busted for pretending to be Andrew, me and Arias had to let him know what was really going on. After we told him everything it made sense to him but he really didn't care, all he wanted was to make sure you were okay. You can't find too many guys who would ignore their girlfriend impersonating their friend and take them back disregarding the trust that's supposed to bond them." Arias had returned from the kitchen carrying an extra dish of some stewed vegetables just in time to catch Jashad scooping a spoon full of her baked macaroni; obviously preparing for a taste-testing bite.

"Yeah, well trust can be an issue when you're thinking about sneaking to taste something before anybody else has a chance to." Arias said to Jashad standing at the table and placing the dish on it. Arias swatted his hand away making him drop the spoon back in the pan, "Now stop that...! Just because of that little stunt, me and my best friend's plate are going to be made first." Jashad stared at Uriko who shrugged her shoulders at him.

"This is a perfect definition and example of trust in me and Arias' case." Jashad said to Uriko. As the dinner plates were passed around and Uriko began to eat, she thought about multiple topic conversations that she should exchange to Kenji when he returns home.

_Later that Evening…_

Uriko was speaking to her mother about Kenji's behavior while Mitsuko was working at their family store. Being a protective mother that Mitsuko was she thought Kenji did a little more than freak out and take off running down the street causing him to transform.

"No, mother; it's not like that. Kenji was really freaked out yesterday and I've been confused about it ever since."

"Oh, well sweetie maybe he's going through something right now and he just doesn't want to upset you or know about it."

"That's just what Arias' husband said…" Uriko responded back in a low voice.

"Well what did Arias say? I know those two have different opinions about something's, well almost everything."

"She said he could be stressed, after the whole marriage and all that his testosterone levels are building up." Uriko said truthfully.

Mitsuko's eyes were huge for a moment before they went back to their normal height then changing rotation like into thinking, before saying, "She could be right. It could be a lot of things going on with that young husband of yours that you don't know about. You got to understand the poor child has experienced a lot in his younger days that he can't put behind him. Just talk to him, that's the best solution." Uriko nodded her head before taking her leave. _'I'll figure this out, either from him or by myself.'_ Uriko thought before heading back home. _'Even if that means I have to manipulate him just to get an answer.'_

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1

Prisoner Part 2

Uriko heard the sound of the automatic alarm system for their car sound off, she jumped obviously startled in her bent position as she scrambled across the room to turn off the lights. With the lights off, of course she loped back to the couch but she ended up ramming her right big toe into the couch structure frame. "Oww, Oh freaking heck! Oh man, that crap hurt so freaking bad! Oww!" She heard the key in the deadbolt begin to unlock, slowly recovering from her painful state she took a seat on the couch and tried to look better than how she felt. When the door opened Uriko retrieved the remote and flicked on the system.

Kenji had his eyes glued to the floor whistling a little tune as he turned back to the door locking the entry to the him and his wife's residence, he turned back still whistling the tune and gazing at the floor as he passed the hallway table, throwing his keys in a tray before continuing on. He lifted his head when he realized that there were more melodic tunes playing then his own whistling version. The candle lit room filled his vision, as similar rose petals filled the floor and the couch; its incredible aroma began suffocating his senses with its fragrance. He looked from the décor to the person liable for the quixotic scene. His eyes opened completely as he whistled at his wife. Uriko was laid on her side on the couch with her silk red robe flared open; she even had petals of roses individually placed on the silky fabric, she clothed herself with an enticing, candy red corset lingerie with hypnotizing candy red fish net stocking. The materials seem to reveal covert etches of her figure that Kenji never seen before. The bottoms were like cut off boy cutters with red stitching that had a heart flying away and a kitten chasing after it saying "Meow."

Kenji shook his head in misperception, "Uh, am I missing something here? What's going on?" Kenji asked her. Uriko moved one leg over the other in a seductive notion, trying to get Kenji to comprehend what her intentions were.

"What do you think?" She said in a low purring voice.

Kenji thought for a moment making a humming noise, "Let's see here, fresh lit candles, rose petals everywhere, stereo sexual music playing and a vixen in a lingerie staring me down with lust written all over her person… Nope, I'm not grasping this."

Uriko fought back the unction to roll her eyes in irritation; she stretched herself out with her arms above her head and put an arch deep in her back to provoke a clearer message. "How about now?"

Kenji sucked in his bottom lip, trying to fight the urge of moaning in sexual desire towards what Uriko was doing; the fishnet and her curves were practically unbearable, including the long months maybe even adding up to be a year of abstinence was starting to take a toll on him. He looked deeply into her eyes even though the partially lit room couldn't express enough of the scene before him, he could still see the nervousness somewhere deep in her eyes. The nervousness shattered his hormones and was replaced with slight despair; he felt Uriko didn't really trust him enough to make love to him, but then again he also felt depression because he noticed that she was pretty much faking the fact she really wanted him or that she wasn't one hundred percent ready for any sexual affection.

Kenji let out a sigh, closed his eyes and shook his head, "No sweetie, I'm still not understanding this moment at all." Even though he was lying to her Uriko thought he was serious, she sat up groaning in irritation as she threw her arms out in a gesturing way, "Oh for crying out loud! Kenji, the whole moral behind all this is because I'm trying to make love to you!"

"No you're not." Kenji said dryly. Uriko dropped the gesture and stared at Kenji.

"Yes I am. How can you tell me otherwise?" She retorted back.

Kenji moved towards her and sat next to her before looking deep into her eyes; his eyes were obviously telling her that he could see through her mask of lies but then they changed suddenly and Uriko felt different, like on a more negative side of different as if she was exposed to danger that she closed her eyes tightly to ignore the sensation. When she opened her eyes again, Kenji began moving closer to Uriko making her fall backwards with curiosity. As she was lying down on the couch, Kenji took both her knees in his hands and pulled her legs apart from each other; Uriko's heart skipped a beat. He positioned himself in between her legs while running his hands down her thighs to the sides of her small stomach and pressed his knuckles into the softness of the couch to support himself hovering over her. Uriko's face was blazing hot like fire as she lay underneath her husband, she could see the desire burning in his eyes which made Uriko think twice about what she was doing.

"Would you really be ready for this?" Kenji said to her, in literally _one_ swift motion he grinded smoothly on her womanhood making sure she felt everything he had on his person again but not trying to make it seem like he was trying to break away the trust they recreated. Uriko gasped out loud before she quickly covered her mouth and looked at Kenji in surprise, mostly at how bold he was. _'Maybe Arias was right?'_ She thought. Before she could stop herself she said back to him matter-of-factly, "That caught me off guard, but I never said I wasn't ready."

"Oh, really? Well, how about this?" Kenji said. He began to grind into her slowly in a rhythmic manner about 6 times and nibbled on her neck; kissing and sucking in unison. Uriko couldn't take it, even though this was strangely exhilarating in a way, but it also pushed her instincts because she wasn't really ready for this, at least not quite yet. Then something hit her senses, some kind of smell that was suffocating her with wreak-like features and a burning smell as well? The malicious and fiery substance was consuming her and the entire radiation energy flared from Kenji's body, she began to shiver even though she wasn't cold; she felt the endangerment lingering around as the darkness that was in small spots all over the room began to form not only shadowy figures of tall men with bloody red eyes but a smoked filled room with fire blazing everywhere. She gasped; she wasn't suffocating from the fire and the smoke but at their person because each one of them were positioned in strange ways, one of them had marks cut deep into his neck as if he was strangled repeatedly. The one next to him body's was cut in two, his bottom half stood standing full of support as his top held the upper portion with strengthening support, the next man's head was backwards as his intestines was cut out and wrapped around his neck. Uriko placed her arms around Kenji for security as she looked around at all the other male figures who stared at her in their death stricken image. She held Kenji tighter who was beginning to grow cold, colder than the dead? The ironic thing about her being as cold as him was the fire blazing around them, and it was like he didn't even notice it. She pulled back from him and saw a completely different Kenji; his eyes were just as red as the other men lingering around the room of their house. She couldn't see his face as he pulled away, it was masked by darkness and smoke filled her vision with a whole new image of Kenji, but the eyes were loud and deadly. Then something fell from his lips and upon her cheek, she brushed it off to see a thick droplet of blood on the pad of her finger. She quivered and shook from the coldness around her body and her fear, then without notice a deep voice that was nothing like Kenji's voice said deep with male dominance, "_What a beautiful little kitten you are. You shouldn't be afraid, this is only the beginning…_" With lighting speed his head jerked down and took a huge chunk of her skin from her neck, Uriko screamed, then louder and louder as blood gushed from her neck. She applied pressure on her wound as she pushed Kenji away struggling to sit up. Before she was even halfway in a sitting position, Kenji took her throat in his hand and flung her back into the couch, trying to release all the blood from the artery and vein he punctured, until Uriko felt unconsciousness…

Kenji shook her frantically, "Uriko! Hey, Uriko! Open your eyes! Your eyes open them up and look at me!" Kenji screamed at Uriko who was screaming her vocals out, eyes shut tighter than sown jeans and before he knew it her hand morphed and scratched at Kenji who backed away in the nick of time. "URIKO!" The calling of her name made Uriko's eyes fling open. Her eyes scanned the scene setting and Uriko began breathing fast in a panicked stake.

"What the hell just happened? Why did you attack me? What's wrong with you?" Kenji partially screamed at her.

She stared at him with confusion playing over her face, "What do you mean what happened?! You attacked me for no apparent reason and took off a huge chunk of my neck! What's wrong with you, why would you do that?" She replied frantically.

"What, ME? I didn't do anything I just sat next to you and I looked at you for a while before I tried leaning into you for a kiss to tell you that you don't have to rush yourself for me, but you shut your eyes, started resting against the couch cushion and began screaming your head off!"

"Only because you came towards me in an awkward state, started grinding all over me and stripped my neck from skin and meat telling me this is just the beginning then choked me with one hand!"

Kenji stared at her in complete confusion, "No! No, I didn't! I was right here the whole time watching you have an episode!"

"I wasn't having an episode, you bit the crap out of me right here!" Uriko raised her hand -that morphed back to normal- to point at the location of her pale skin.

"I don't see anything, no open wound, no blood." Kenji remarked. Uriko furrowed her eyebrows and rubbed her neck to feel nothing but skin, she repeated her action frequently with both hands this time in hopes of receiving a different source, but nothing.

"No, no, no, no, NO! No, it was there and half of my neck was gone, I-I was bleeding rapidly and I was freaking out trying to fight you away but you acted like you were trying to kill me!" Uriko exclaimed.

"Uriko, you really think that I would try to intentionally hurt you." It wasn't in the form of a question, but Uriko answered it as if it were one.

"Well, no of course not. But that doesn't explain why you would do that to me!"

"Uriko, I didn't do anything to you, not a thing. You were probably hallucinating or something; you just might need some sleep because you might have sleep troubles."

Uriko thought about it for a moment, "I guess, but tell me something why did you leave me like that the other night?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know all I know is that I had fallen asleep for a moment and you flew out of the bed with a little scream, when I checked on you, you were acting like you were alerted with your surroundings so I tried to comfort you but afterwards you stopped embracing me and took off running down the street. It had to be something serious because you transformed. If I don't know anything about you then what I do know is you either transform when you're threatened, senses or something is bothering you?"

Kenji knew what she was talking about; that face, that man, that thing that looked like him but it wasn't. Kenji didn't want his wife to fret about his problems; he barely understood them himself so how would she understand? _'I barely even remember what happened when I morphed, it was like I was a puppet; brainless, incompetent, not in control. I don't know what came over me; I just had to get away. How would she understand that I left because that's all I could think of doing, she would probably think it was something she did; I don't know what to tell her, all I can tell her is a sideline lie.'_ Kenji thought. "I tried to restrain from making love to you, I blame it on that stupid drink from yesterday. I didn't want to scare you so I had to leave; it was all I could do at the time." Kenji heard himself say to her.

Uriko lowered her head and whispered more to herself, "So Arias was right?"

Kenji stared at her, "What about her?"

"I, uh... Went to go see Arias and Jashad earlier today because I was confused about yesterday and Arias told me that the incident that happened was probably because of your testosterone level." Uriko told him shyly.

'_No, well it's kind of like that but no.'_ Kenji thought. "Why would you go to them? It's not good to ask Jashad questions because the guy is almost another version of a fortune teller; he knows everything. While he and Arias was on their honeymoon she found out that the new installment to a book came out and she wanted to go get it when she got a little more money on the side to spend. He told her that he would get the book for her later but she had already got it. He said that he found out she had the book even though she found a place he didn't normally look to hide it because of the way she was acting after she read it."

"That might be true; my mother even said the same thing."

Kenji's eyes got huge, "You told Mitsuko?"

"Well, you weren't here so I couldn't think of anything else to do; what's worse than going to my mother?"

"You're right; there is nothing wrong with that, I'm just glad she's not after me because of it."

Uriko gave him a slight smile before it fled her face. "Why didn't you come home last night?"

Kenji could truthfully answer that question because he did remember what happened later on that night, but the only thing he didn't understand was as he was trudging around in the dark streets how in the world did he get soaking wet especially since it wasn't raining?

"Actually I did, I came home around 3 and changed clothes before I carried you to the room, because you fell asleep on the couch and I curled next to you all night until the alarm went off waking me up to go to work."

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry for trying to fool you with this stunt I just pulled. When I'm really ready for an intimate relation, I'll let you know upfront, only if you promise me that if you ever feel the way you were acting yesterday, please don't hesitate to tell me about it, let me know ahead of time."

"I won't; sorry for making you worry about me."

"It's okay, at least I know now."

"When I get paid next week, I'll go and buy us cell-phones, I heard those devices are really useful; you can talk to people on the go."

"Really? Wow, that's cool!"

"Yep."

"Well, I'm going to go head for the bathroom and take a shower; if you're hungry they have a plate in the kitchen that Arias made."

"Okay, I'll turn this off and watch some TV before I go take a shower." Kenji said to Uriko as he turned off the stereo system. Uriko gave him a quick kiss on the lips before heading into the room.

Kenji pressed his back against the couch with a sigh as he remotely turned on the TV, after every 5 seconds he would surf each channel. He changed the channel over a television commercial advertising their products like the ordinary charlatans they were, when he flicked directly to a News Channel. He was just about to change the channel when a news cast lady said something intriguing about a story, "Discoveries from last night's murder wasn't just obviously uncovered but a brutal scene was etched in an alleyway. Young Sauzi Monsuke died a ruthless death according to police officers." A tiny square picture of Sauzi appeared at the corner of the screen. Kenji furrowed his eyebrows at the picture; the child looked very familiar to him in some strange way. "We now turn to Alana Hirosuna who is live at the scene to give us more information about what happened to young Sauzi; Alana."

"As investigators predicted the body of young 19 year old Sauzi Monsuke wasn't decayed very long, the gruesome problem had to begin late last night. The young man had just got off of work and was heading home when he took a shortcut route to his place as often as he's done before."

"_He had a 13 hour shift that day because he needed the extra money; I was working around that time and because his car is in the shop I offered to give him a ride home but he declined. I'm sure that if he would've accepted, he would still be alive today_." The young kid who made the statement was named Kenny Touki.

"Kenny stated that he was a good friend of Sauzi and an employee of the job he worked at." The news reporter Alana said. "There's not much information on how the accident began."

An elderly man with fuzzy white hair and a sad look on his face began to say his end of his story, "_I heard a muffled scream before I was heading off to bed and I sent my god son to come with me and see what the ruckus was, when I walked out with my god son towards the alleyway I heard a loud scream that was cut off abruptly before something passed by us with light switching speed. We looked down the alleyway again and saw the kid in a battered, terrible way_."

"Police uncovered and revealed to us how brutal the young man's death had been."

"_It seemed from this scene that the child must've had a rival or some sort; he was severely dismembered from limbs to head and his mouth was..._" The officer had to cut off what he said to the reporter before shaking his head. "_It was just terrible; I've never seen something so horrible happen to one child, my only question is for what? What has the kid done to deserve a death as horrid as this?_"

Suddenly the screen switched to Alana interviewing someone. "Do you know anybody who would try to kill Sauzi?" Alana asked a woman.

"_I-I can't imagine anyone who would ever hurt my poor boy... He was so lively and a gentleman who worked hard like any other teenager... His life wasn't perfect but he never deserved anything... Like... This...!_" A woman who looked just like Sauzi said -Kenji assumed she had to be his mother- she tried to finish the interview as best as she could as her Husband held her but she broke down instantly like a stone wall with weak support.

The image of the reporter standing alone in the area of the crime reflected on the television._'Wait a second, I recognize that location!' _Kenji thought. "The old man who was the first to discover the young man's body may not have seen who the murderer was but all that was seen was a dark image with red eyes; a strange description one may say about another but justice will be served in this young man's case. I'm Alana Hirosuna, news reporter live in Japan and I will continue to keep you updated about this tragic death with Sauzi Monsuke; back to you, Moka." After the report about Sauzi, Kenji couldn't help but feel like his world was crumbling from under him. He knew the child somehow but he didn't know from where? Minutes later Uriko reappeared from the bathroom drying off her damp hair with a cute pajama of kittens at play illustrated all over the set; she stood there staring at Kenji's pale face. "Kenji, are you okay?"

Kenji snapped out of the trance that he was succumbed into and stared at his wife. "Have you heard the news?"

Uriko shook her head, "No, what news?"

"A kid died last night after getting off of work, in an alleyway near Busuzima's Laboratory."

"Oh no! He's not going after people is he? Are humans blaming Zoanthrope's for the death of that kid?"

"Not that I know of... For some strange reason I think I know who that kid is or I've seen him somewhere."

"Has he ever been an assassin for the ZLF or worked for Busuzima?"

"No, there's no way. Somebody who discovered that the kid was killed said the person had red eyes?"

"It could've been an assassinator for Busuzima, I mean if the kid wasn't seen around that location nobody would've went after him that could explain those red eyes that man saw?"

"Maybe, it could be anything; nobody knows any enemies that the kid might have had. It just doesn't make any sense?"

Uriko had wrapped her hair in the towel before she spoke again. "Unless..." Kenji stared at Uriko. "Unless the one who is responsible for the kid's death is a hit man who was either hired to kill him or wants revenge on him?"

"Well you make a valid point but still it doesn't make any sense." Kenji stood up and headed for the bathroom. "I'm going to talk to Yugo about it later, maybe he knows something; but I'm taking a shower and going to bed..."

_And Then..._

Kenji walked out the steam filled room to clean less suffocating air after conveniently washing and rinsing his body. He sighed and walked over to the foggy mirror as he wrapped his towel around the lower half of his body. Uriko knocked on the door of the bathroom to announce her presence before letting herself inside. "Hey, I was just letting you know that I'm heading to bed."

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute." Kenji said starring in her direction. Uriko gave him a half smile and closed the door to the bathroom as Kenji turned his attention back to the foggy mirror. He dazed out for a moment before reality came back to him when he heard a tiny whisper, but it wasn't the same whisper he heard the night before. He glanced around the area and saw nothing; he turned back to the foggy mirror and wiped a stream of mist off the glass to see his reflection. Getting a good glimpse of himself he ran his hands across his face and left them on his eyes trying to break away from the tired emotions and expressions he had grazing his face. Dear God he was strangely tired; earlier he was well rested but now he felt as if he was going to pass out from exhaustion. He glanced back at the foggy mirror at himself when a spark of light zapped from the corner of the mirror. He looked at the spot from the mirrors view when a pale teenage face took the image appeared behind him with his head lowered, hanging off of his neck. Kenji saw his twisted body and blood dripping from what he thought was his hanging mouth and long tongue. _'What the...'_ Kenji thought before he turned around and saw nothing but the bathroom. He turned back to the mirror and seen that his head somehow managed to hold itself on the less supporting neck but it was the dead face of the kid from the news, "Sauzi?" Kenji whispered, his red flipping eyes stared at Kenji with his mouth out stretched to the capacity and his long lengthen tongue hanging out of his mouth like a dog out of breath. He was growling as he starred at Kenji in utter madness. Kenji didn't know what to do, he wanted to call Uriko and let her see this for herself and hopefully she would.

He opened up his mouth about to call out her name but suddenly something grabbed his throat in a choking matter as he tried to fight back the feeling, literally. He grabbed a hold of his neck and tried to back away getting a few breaths in between. "H-help!" He tried to call out but the grip around his throat was getting stronger. He glanced at the mirror as he saw Sauzi stare at him in madness still in the same location he stood in from before, but a figure of a man stood in front of him. It was the same man from the night before, he was choking him. _'Oh God! Who the hell is this? Why is he haunting me and trying to kill me!'_ Kenji thought. With the man's reflection clear as day in the mirror, Kenji saw as the man lifted his body in the air as he panicked and kicked as much as he could. The man threw Kenji into the mirror as he finally began to breathe but it came out as a scream when his head connected with the mirror cracking the location he was thrown into. He fell on the sink counter as he grasped his injury grunting in mesmerizing pain; his vision grew hazy as all the objects on the counter began to fall as Kenji arose part way. The mirror wasn't his only access to see the people lingering around the bathroom but his hazy vision had him seeing the blurry image of their presence.

"_You think you have it all! You trapped me in the darkness and took over what was mine! I've earned that right to be a person and yet you stole it because of your family...!_" The man who strangled him with dangerous dark hair, red eyes and the deep masculine voice said to Kenji loud and strong with ire.

Kenji took a hold of his throat as his hoarse and raspy voice said back, "I don't even know who you are?! You may look... Like me, but what you're saying makes no sense!"

The man began to scoff at Kenji, "_Is that so?_" He came up to Kenji and took his face in his hands making him allow his hazy eyes to stare in his location. "_How can you forget the only person who's ever been a part of you? How can you forget about the only person who showed you love? How dare you forget about the only person who allowed you to live as the skilled assassin you are to this day?!_" He screamed at Kenji as his jaw began to burn under his touch. Kenji screamed out as the man pushed his face away from his grasp standing to stare him down with his crazy red eyes. Kenji's mind couldn't register whatever was going on at this point; all he knew was this man obviously has a connection with him besides that they looked alike. He felt his eyes burning in rage at Kenji's person as Kenji tried to swiftly recover from him shaken state. The man took Kenji's hair in his hand and made him look into his eyes, "_You were as weak as you were before and these creatures around you have torn you away from who you really are... You will always be a prisoner of me, a prison of yourself; you will never be whole. No matter how hard you try to tear yourself away from the past or even attempt to let it go, that cute little wife of yours will never understand the real you, the real monster that lies within; she will never stay with you when she finds out your secret. This so called love you have for her will crumble when I am whole again and you accept who you are and kill her by your own hands when the time comes, little man._" He released Kenji's hair and stared down at him as Kenji's tightened fist began to tremble.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about her like that again." He spoke back forcefully removing his weak body from the counter to the floor as he began to stand with the counter as his slight support.

The anger from the man exploded as the bathroom began to fill with darkness; all Kenji noticed was the Sauzi kid, the guy who looked like him and his self. He could still feel the counter but he couldn't see it.

"Kenji! Kenji!" Uriko screamed from a darkened spot as Kenji's no longer hazy but wide eyes began to search frantically for the feline.

"Uriko!" Kenji screamed as an echo came behind his words into the darkness.

"_She can't hear you when you're trapped in your mind._" The man said to him.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Kenji retorted back as he grabbed his injured head after he felt a terrible aching feeling.

"_It may not make sense now but soon you will eventually understand my meaning... Or maybe your little wife's sorrow and her dear pleas may get you to comprehend my message now rather than later?_" The man said, smirking menacingly.

Kenji's veins begin to fuel with horrendous anger that this man was threatening to harm his wife in front of him. Without notice Kenji screamed in madness as his body transformed into his Zoanthrope form. The man barked out in laughter at Kenji's scream but as soon as he transformed he growled at his stupidity and retreated farther away from him sucking away the darkness bringing back the bathroom again. Sauzi cringed in fear as his body's image dissolved instantly from view and the man stared at the Mole in return. The Mole charged at the guy, who remained in the bathroom. "_You certainly are something. Don't forget you will always be a prisoner of me and a prisoner of yourself._" Suddenly the man dissolved just like Sauzi.

When Kenji slashed at the empty air he screeched out a scream as Uriko's voice called out his named into the distance and he felt himself began to shake...

"Kenji! Kenji! Kenji, please wake up, baby! Please look at me so I know you're still alive!" Uriko screamed as she shook Kenji awake.

His eyes opened slightly as he noticed he was still a human but his hands were still morphed. Uriko shook him and said something but he couldn't hear what she said as the quote the guy said began to haunt his mind all the way into unconsciousness. "_You will always be a prisoner of me and a prisoner of yourself._"

'_Prisoner... Prisoner... Prisoner...'_


	2. Antagonist

**Haunted By Paraphernalia **

(A/N): Just a quick announcement, lots of love to Yura Nonomura and to Kasumi Tsukagami for my first review! Yay! Also, many hearts go out to sapplejack for adding HAP as their favorite; check out Loki-God-of-Mischief with the Bloody Roar story called Memories of Old. Anyways, here we go with Chapter 2 Antagonist.

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**2**

**Antagonist**

'_What is this annoying pain in the back of my head? Why do I feel so weak? Why do I feel so cold?'_ Kenji's senses of sight, touch, and smell had been consumed by the horrid odors and existence of darkness around him. He felt pinned as his body latched its lazy, weak state to the darkened floor. With little feeling to his body, Kenji closed his eyes due to the pain in his head and groaned in misery. "Why me?" He let out, bored like. He sighed inwardly to himself, as the dark room around him began to vibrate gently before the predictive gentleness swayed away. He furrowed his eye brows in confusion as he glanced passed the long path of his body into the dark filled room. He tried to sit up, but his body wouldn't let him corporate; he laid among the dark floor gazing into the still darkness when a lighter than black shadow whipped in front of his vision. "What is that?" Still suffering from his weak body feeling, his eyes tightened to get a clearer image of the shadow. Without notice his body engaged in a jerking upwards motion, instantaneously, partially knocking the little wind out of his system and aggressively making his toy like body, dangle in the air. Kenji struggled, mentally, to move from the hovering fee, but with little to no results. He then noticed below hundreds of grey, decaying hands arising from the darken floors. Slightly panicking in the air, he watched as the ghoulish faces of the dead people began breaking free from the darkness, and began groaning in painful misery. Each one moved as a zombie, complaining in pain from their frigid features; they stretched and pulled their torn bodies as much as they could to take hold of Kenji's legs. His nerves interfered as the feeling to control his body finally came back. He assertively kicked and screamed for the dead to keep away when he unexpectedly noticed his clothing. Yellow ninja gear, stained by the remains of blood which remained etched within each thread of material courteously, and a slightly torn red scarf wrapped rather loosely around his neck.

"Oh no!" He panicked, as he tried to remove the abominable memory of his past life from his person. Then the face from afar appeared; as Kenji hovered in midair he caught sight of the teenager from the news running frantically over the dead bodies of the decaying corpses. He looked young; he wasn't dead like the other creatures below, but more like a human. "Sauzi?" Kenji whispered. Sauzi turned to look Kenji's way by the sound of his name, when he realized who the person was; his face froze before anger took control. Sauzi's skin began to stretch around his mouth and his long, extended tongue burst out of his mouth as his eyes went deadly red; cuts broke into his neck as his arms, waist, and legs began to grossly fall from his body. He screamed at Kenji with this dead monstrous voice, as his remaining body parts –which the cuts in his neck, eventually disassembled his head from there- began to sink into the dead pool of the lifeless corpses. Shaking his head as much as he could in disbelief and not to mention utter confusion, Kenji began to move like a nervous child away from the hovering feeling and brought his legs closer to his abdomen so the decaying creatures below wouldn't take hold of him.

As he motioned every body part he had to break free from this grip, this dream, this nightmare, a blurry figure slowly recovered its fading state and seen normally right in front of Kenji; the creature had its arm extended to hold him in the air. As the reputation began to resurface perfectly, Kenji's eyes went huge with shock. It was the same creature that's been haunting him in his new home, the same creature that tormented and attacked him with confusing reasons, and the same creature who took his looks after Kenji. "You!" Kenji screamed before he winced in pain as the aching in the back of his head came back. "_Don't fight your past, Kenji! This is your everlasting future!_" The red-eyed man screamed back to Kenji. Kenji looked below his feet when he realized the different Kenji was standing on a deep black ledge. Kenji kicked and fought to break free from his iron grip; when suddenly, the grip that was presently issued stopped abruptly, and he felt a hot not warm breeze overcome his body; without realization of what was taking place, he looked to his other half twin and seen the extended gap of the distance growing increasingly between them. "AH!" Kenji finally understood what was beginning to happen, his 'twin' had released him and he was falling into the deep grey, sea of the living dead creatures from underneath him.

With his body's natural response, he suddenly morphed into his Mole Zoanthrope form before his claws touched one of the decaying creatures and jumped, springing high into the air. He could hear the moaning screams of the dead creatures from under him as he soared. He looked down at the creatures with his animal eyes, when he noticed his antagonistic half scrunching his face in anger towards him, before he eventually dissolved away. _'Why does he just disappear?'_ Kenji thought. Suddenly, something peculiar happened to the dead; each creature screamed out their moans of misery, before the dead sounds of their voices began to ease away and change into more realistic screams of agony and even fear. Averting his eyes downwards towards the creatures, he mentally noted their realistic features, and human correlated screams before they all soon dissolved into dust. Kenji didn't understand what was happening; he averted his animal eyes towards the atmospheric darkness. Suddenly, the dust from the creatures began to form together like the Sandman from Spider-man and latched onto Kenji making him fall back into the darker region he relocated from. He let out a loud screech as he clawed the thick mounds of dusted particles away from him before his body slammed against a hard surface. With the pain in the back of his head resurfacing, Kenji let out a scream before his original human form replaced his former animal form. He barely had enough strength to open his eyes, but somehow managed to glance at the dust before it consumed him. Kenji couldn't breathe underneath the dusted minerals; not before long then, Kenji began to slowly slip away into unconsciousness as his 'twin' laughed a malicious laugh at poor Kenji's misery…

Kenji bolted from the bed sheets and let out a little scream as his facial features masked that of his startled emotion. With his eyes wide and breathing coming in quick pants, the aching pain in the back of his noggin exploded in unimaginable pain. He winced and groaned to himself before caressing his excruciating head injury, and took sight of his new place. _'An all-white room?' _Kenji thought as he glanced around at his surroundings before him. He had been surprised the pale image didn't torment his vision by its intense light, but then again, he did escape the harsh dream world rather abruptly. He took in his surroundings, _'Let's see… A monitor set with its unique appliances, a small, slightly out of date television on the opposite side of the room, bathroom in the far corner, a roll about table with a cup of water and a tube of ice… Oh, speaking of which.'_ Kenji thought. He hadn't realized how metaphorically his desert like, parched mouth and throat had been since he'd been asleep. He anxiously, but hesitantly reached for the tube to fill up the cup of water with more ice, when he realized how bad his nerves must have been. His hands were shaking profusely with each movement. He fought through the nerves and brought the cup to his lips for a sip. The exhilarating sensation of the cold water substance touched his tongue and he almost had to hold back a tear (hypothetically speaking), including a shudder when the refreshing liquid dripped down his throat; easing the dry feeling within his mouth. "Oh." He let out in a hoarse, raspy voice from the bitter, lovely feeling he had experienced. He cleared his throat and drowned down the rest of the water before he realized the cup ran empty. He craved for more of the tempting water; he tried to remove himself from the bed when he noticed the bed rails alongside of the bed and its unique gadget functions, including the iconic pictures each obtained. Kenji furrowed his eyebrows in slight comprehensive acknowledgment of his location. "Am I in an h-hospital?" Kenji practically stuttered in his hoarse voice. Just then, he heard the room of the door beginning to open, he averted his Amber eyes towards the door to see a nurse entering.

"Oh, thank the heavens you're awake!" She said more to herself almost appraisingly. "Hi, I'm Tsukiumi Hatake; I'll be assisting you today. How are you feeling Mr. Ohgami? Are you experiencing any pain?" The nurse, Tsukiumi, had dark fiery hair cut in a short bob, dark emerald eyes, stood about 5' evenly with her small body frame, and her Japanese mixed with Irish features made her absolutely astonishing.

Kenji tried to speak, but it came out in a raspy cough. She squealed and rushed over to take his cup and proceeded over to a nearby water fountain outside the room, and returned with a cup filled of water. He took the cup graciously before gulping it down in one swallow.

"It'll be a lot easier on you if you slowed down with your drinking. You might drink too much at one time and kill yourself."

Kenji gave her a confusing look that pretty much gave her a question about why she said what she said. How?

"The force of the impact when you're head collided with the mirror gave you an unexpected concussion; the force was so strong that if you hadn't been here sooner and pulled through you would have been announced DOA (Dead on Arrival). Now, even though you may be experiencing a dry mouth, it could be a sign of death because of the more you consume water as quickly and as much as you do, it could force its way near your injury and kill you. To make it plain and simple, if you drink too much water while you're hurt, it's a quicker way of dying than running out into the middle of a street in busy traffic."

"Oh." Kenji said hoarsely again, as he put the cup back on the table and cleared his throat.

"In your case, I suggest you suck on ice until your mouth collects that moisture it needs." The nurse said. Kenji nodded his head. "Now, are you experiencing any pain?"

"Just in my head." Kenji said low for now until his voice was normal again before placing a few cubes of ice in his mouth for refreshments.

"Well that's good to know it's just in that location, we'll run some more tests on you to make sure it isn't anything serious that could be fatal. Is it just excruciating headaches you're experiencing or is it something less or more severe?"

"I'll say just headaches; they come and go every now and again."

"It may be minor, but in about five minutes the doctor and I will return to run some more tests."

"Okay."

"Let me just check your vitals… Oh, would you like to see your visitors now or later?" The nurse asked before writing down the new information that appeared on the monitor.

"Visitors?" Kenji asked confused like, slowly recollecting his original voice back again, and the ice particles dissolved almost completely.

"Yes sir, they all have been worried about you, especially Mrs. Ohgami."

"Yes, I would love to see them at least before the doctor comes in so they know I'm okay."

"Very well, sir. I will call for them now. I'll be right back." As nurse Tsukiumi walked out of the room with her chart completed, Kenji felt his body go cold for a split second before the aching in his head resurfaced. "Oh man." He said grasping the back of his head in pain and wincing at the nerves reaction towards the injury. "Where's the BC Powder when you need it." Kenji said aloud. Throughout the unexpected pain, Kenji closed his eyes tightly, waiting anxiously for the pain to desist. Then, an image flooded his mind; he was in a dark location, better yet he was outside in a neighborhood he's seen before, his vision was remarkable in the dark area, -the dream didn't allow him to notice what clothes he possessed, or his own being, just the image of the dark surrounding atmosphere- so he'd assume he had formed into the beast. He wondered aimlessly on the streets of the neighborhood when something inside of him began to stir, vigorously. Then he heard it, faint voices whispering something without an end to the sentence, but so low he could barely make out any words. The voices continued ranting in low keys and Kenji had to admit he was getting rather annoyed with their constant undetermined, non-related bickering. As the voices continued to dance around him, he covered his head in frustration and began growling to himself in his beast like voice. The voices were still low enough to hear vividly; they were just as aggravating as a child who asked 1 million questions about things they shouldn't be worried about, especially when the questions didn't pertain to them. Suddenly, a panicked yelp of surprise came from somewhere, before that voice emerged within the whispery voices Kenji had been hearing. The voices were like a plague; more and more of a bother to him, and the burning rage, bubbling inside of him exploded with an unethical sense of ire. Before he took heed to his actions, he realized the very nightmare he'd engaged himself in, he seen the image of his 'twin' whispering and snickering at him. Irritation overcame him as he lashed out at his malicious twin friend, when he heard a loud scream he had encountered before…

Within a split second Kenji heard the sound of a pair of running feet, before they came to a halt right in front of his door. His eyes sprang open as he glazed upon the person, slowly pulling himself up into a sitting position as if to pretend he hadn't been dreaming a strange dream, but he had been resting and waiting upon their arrival. Then he saw her; she was dressed in some sweat pants that belonged to him, the pajama shirt he saw her in before, an overall jacket and her long, flawless hair flowed freely down her back. Her eyes were puffy and red, as if she'd been either crying or she hadn't slept in a few hours, but the possibility that she would've endured both, may have been a better reason. She let out a sharp shriek as she lunged at Kenji in full speed with tears in her dark-brown eyes.

"Kenji!" Uriko screamed, as she embraced her husband and sobbed in relief. Uriko knocked some wind out of his system, and brought a severely, excruciating pain he never knew existed from his current situation that planted itself into his injury. He grunted in agonizing discomfort, as his face twisted in absolute mischief, before he fell back into the comfortable pillow behind him. Uriko pulled away rapidly and gasped at the pain she inflicted upon her husband; her hands covered her mouth as she noticed the condition to his injury must have been calamitous, and she only made it worse.

"Oh, Kenji! I am so sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you!" She pleaded. As the new pain began to vanish sluggishly, Kenji managed to mumble, "It is fine. I'm still not completely healed."

Uriko pulled a chair along-side of him, took a hold of his hand and held it within her own, and allowed the backside of his hand to caress her cheek as she sat and looked at her helpless husband.

"Well, this is a sight!" Someone intruded in. The voice was loud, but welcoming; Kenji opened his eyes and stared into the face of his smiling brother. "Yugo."

"This certainly isn't something I would normally see from you, being barricaded in a hospital room, I mean." Yugo said as he sat in a seat cushion across from the bed nearby the door.

"Technically, he's not barricaded in a hospital because he has the liberty to roam around as often as he pleases…" Arias retorted back at Yugo, correctly.

"As long as he's within the facility and if he's permitted to rove around the premises or well enough to return to his own quarters, then he has the liberty to run around as freely as he wants. You must to do your research before you try to correct someone else's." Jashad said to Arias, clearly taking Yugo's side, but also correcting his bad choice of words.

"We're not going through this tonight!" Arias told Jashad, before rolling her eyes and checking on Kenji.

"How are you anyway?" Mitsuko said walking into the room as well.

"I guess I'm okay. All of you came by to make sure I was alright?" Kenji stated before asking the question.

"We've been here all night." Alice said before strolling into the room, and smiling at Kenji as she placed her hand on Yugo's left broad shoulder.

"Thank you all." Kenji said back with a weary smile as the last bits of pain were beginning to flee.

"Anything dangerous?" Alice asked.

"No, just headaches here and there; I don't think it's anything fatal." Kenji told her, as he felt Uriko tighten her grip on his hand, just minimally. He glanced at his wife and gave her a passionate, reassuring smile.

"Well, that is exceptional news!" Another deep, but heart-felt voice came from the doorway. Everyone looked towards the person liable and every pair of eyes glared at the doctor and the nurse known as Tsukiumi. The doctor had short blond cut hair, very fair skin, deep blue eyes that were almost black, stood around 6' evenly and had a long, lanky build. Upon entering, Alice gave the doctor a pissed off, angry, resentful look. "I am Dr. Henry Soo Hoo, but I prefer to be called Dr. Henry. My assisting nurse, Tsukiumi, told me about your condition, luckily we were able to get you in here and treated on time."

"Sorry to be a burden, but I thought it was Tsukiumi who saved his life, from what I've noticed you were pretty much in the way?" Alice retorted back to Dr. Henry in a sassy voice.

"Well, I do have to give my assistant credit for being there when necessary, but this was all my doing." He gave her a sensitive smile that had a meaning behind it, somewhere between malicious and self-centered. "Now, please explain to me how you ended up in this misshapen state?" Dr. Henry questioned, stepping in between him and Uriko, slowly pulling him up in a sitting position and using his stethoscope to check Kenji's heart rate whilst telling him to breathe deeply as he shared his story.

"Well, (deep breath) I was just getting out of the shower, and staring into the mirror when I (deep breath) felt…" Kenji stopped himself, he didn't want to tell an outsider, better yet let anyone know about the mysterious twin he often encounters. When Alice and Tsukiumi spoke up, interrupting Kenji's mind of the lies he could use.

"Excuse me doctor, but why use the stethoscope when the machine shows his heart rate is normal?" Tsukiumi said first.

"Yeah, that's a good question, why would you use that?" Alice then stated.

"Well, machinery work could be invalid, and I was making sure everything was adequate. Besides, most of these machines are out of date."

"Hospitals keeps machines like this updated constantly to make sure that the patients' health is adequate, you sure don't act like you know what you're doing for a doctor?" Alice said.

"Now, now, please; who is the doctor here, and who are the _nurses_ of this and the other hospitals around here? I am merely examining his heart rate to record this information on the chart."

"But doctor, I already posted the most recent information of his vitals; we came in here to run tests on his head injury." Tsukiumi said, flashing the new information to Dr. Henry. By then everyone began furrowing their eyebrows at the doctor in confusion. Suddenly he gave out a hearty laugh and slapped his head, "Oh, I was suffering from a memory block, of course, of course. Let's run the test! Now, continue on with your story, Mr. Ohgami?" Dr. Henry replied, getting the supplies and the machine ready to start the testing.

"I… Just felt faint and I think I've fallen head first into the mirror before collapsing onto the ground. At least I think… I-I can't really remember, all I know is I felt faint. It must've been from the bathroom heat or so, I'm not sure." Kenji lied partially before grasping his head injury, faking amnesia.

"Were you taking any medication like Nyquil that might've cause faint?" Tsukiumi asked, as Alice noticed Dr. Henry paid little attention to Kenji's story and more on how to operate the machinery, like as if he had just seen the material for the first time.

"No, I didn't take anything." Kenji said, before he was interrupted by Alice.

"Wait a second? For a doctor you aren't very observant to your patients, you let the nurses do all the work and you receive the credit for what they offer. Also, what are you doing?" Alice said before questioning.

Dr. Henry dropped the testing equipment and stared at Alice in rage, but when he spoke it was ever so calming. "I was making sure everything was here, _Nurse _Alice."

"Yeah right. You obviously don't know a thing about being a doctor…"

"Alice, calm down." Yugo told her sweetly.

"Are you alright, doctor?" Mitsuko said to him.

"Yes ma'am. Umm, Tsukiumi. Please take care of everything here for me, I need to go take my medication; it seems my mind is definitely out of sorts today. Let me know how the patient is coming along, please." He said before scurrying off.

"Yes sir." Tsukiumi said. "Well, Mr. Ohgami. Give me a few seconds to get everything in order before we begin."

Kenji nodded his head and began to lie back. "Umm, Tsukiumi; if you don't mind me asking, what's wrong with the doctor?" Kenji said as she set up the equipment.

"Dr. Henry is a wonderful doctor; it's just that his reputation and record isn't as wonderful as he." Tsukiumi said dazedly.

"Oh for goodness sake, Henry is a worthless doctor. I don't understand how he received his degree to become a doctor, and what's worse is his record is clearly unethical. A few years ago, in less than 6 months, he was suspended from his job for the deaths of about 20 patients; to make matters worse, he's only been a doctor for 2 years and _all_ of his patients seem to either die before arriving in their rooms or before they leave." Alice said.

"WHAT!" Kenji and Uriko screamed bolting up in surprise. With the sudden jerk of surprise, the process caused slight pain towards the injury in the back of his head and Kenji winced before grabbing it, but throughout the episode he kept his eyes focused on Alice.

"How could they let him get away with something like that?" Mitsuko asked puzzled.

"The first several accidents were fatal; the patients couldn't pull through at the time of their arrival; as for the other portion, each was medicated with the medicine we provided or their IV's were drugged with unhealthful hazards or maybe even poison. With each crime that came, Dr. Henry was always around or present at the patients time of death when each nurse or other doctors weren't present then. He was under investigation and was blamed for the crimes based off the records provided, but before he was suspended or a little while during it, a fire broke out in the record room and all the data officials were given had been destroyed. With his records clean, he was released from suspension early, but his reputation is still at a dangerous high.

"Our voices are all we have to use to remove Dr. Henry from any hospitals; we've even tried to protest, and keep him away from attending to the patients -even with the condition he's in, but everyone above us insist that we corporate with his work habits because technically, he is the boss over all of us. Even though we can't get rid of him, he must always report to all of his patients with a nurse at his side. In my case, I handle all the work like a doctor should when he's around, but I still have the title as a nurse, even with my degree to be a doctor." Tsukiumi said before hanging her head.

"Well, why in the world am I here? I can't be around that man if he kills off his patients and gets away with it!" Kenji panicked; his heart rate beating on the monitoring system beeped fast and loudly. Uriko began to sooth him by stroking his hair and quieting him before planting a kiss on his forehead and telling him it'll be alright.

"He's right; I can't have my brother-in-law die from some psycho!" Arias retorted to Tsukiumi.

"Don't get me wrong everyone, I hate the outcome to this story as well, but I can promise you this, I went into the medical business because I love to help people, not to hurt people, I don't care if I'm near death on my death bed, I won't let Dr. Henry hurt anyone, if he is the one to blame. Each of his patients, are my patients; we're all like family, we strive for the better of our lives and protect those we care about. I see you all as my family, and I will do everything in my power to make sure you are alive and well whenever you need me, even for personal visits, I'll be there. If anyone knows me, it's Alice; she's seen me work, and she knows how I act towards this type of situation, that's how you ended up here, Mr. Ohgami. If you choose to leave this hospital, I cannot stop you, but I can guarantee safety and dependency on anything you'll need from me." Tsukiumi said to everyone before directing her quote towards Kenji.

"Well, you sound very dependable for a nurse, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep you to your offer. Only on one condition, I request that Dr. Henry will no longer be prohibited to assist you when my family, friends, and I are hurt or we need a check-up or anything, only you and Alice are assigned to attend to us personally." Kenji said.

Tsukiumi was about to say something in return to what he said when he intervened. "That was a customer's request; the motto every job must abide by is the customer is always right, and what they request is what they deserve; isn't that right _Dr._ Tsukiumi." Kenji told her. Tsukiumi gasped breathlessly, before smiling back at Kenji and nodding her head.

"Yes sir, Mr. Ohgami." She said reassuringly with a timid smile.

"So how long will this be, or how long will Kenji stay in the hospital?" Uriko asked as she glanced down at Kenji, gripping his hand lightly.

"The test will take less than 5 minutes or so, but determining how bad his condition may be, will allow us to inquire how long he may stay here." Tsukiumi said.

"I hope it isn't serious?" Uriko asked sadly, as her pretty dark-brown eyes drifted towards the ground. "Hey?" Kenji said to her, making her stare into his amber ones. "It isn't, do you know why?" Kenji questioned.

"Is it because we're here for you?" She answered.

"Yes, and because I know most importantly you are here and you expect me to be better for you." He said back, smiling.

"I expect you to be healthy before you leave, that's all." She said.

"He will, Mrs. Ohgami. Leave it all to me; I'll make sure he's as healthy as an ox." Tsukiumi said to Uriko with an honest smile.

"Yeah; no worries, Uriko. Kenji is a tough cookie, if anything I bet he'll be out of here in less than a week." Yugo said with a strong, innocent smile.

"I agree with Yugo, Kenji is a strong guy if he managed to pull through a devastating accident and is still well enough to talk completely." Arias said to Uriko.

"Yeah, miracles happen." Jashad said right after.

"Of course." Alice said to Uriko and Kenji before winking.

"Absolutely, nothing can stop a young man who's seen all, and dealt with all at a young age, even with a little head injury." Mitsuko chirped in.

Then a twinge of pain elapsed in his injury, Kenji winced in pain before completely opening his eyes to the concerned faces that filled the room.

"Well, I won't say a little head injury." Kenji retorted. Tsukiumi smiled as she finished the last of the testing equipment.

"Alright, with that being finished we will begin. I'm sorry to inform you, but you must leave for this part. I will report to you all instantly with the updating feedback on his current condition." Tsukiumi said to the family. Uriko gave Kenji a quick peck on the mouth before taking her leave with the others. When the nurse closed the door, Kenji laid back and closed his eyes awaiting the dream he faced before to rematerialize.

* * *

2

Antagonist Part 2

_About a Week Later…_

"We're here! Promise me you'll take it easy." Uriko said passionately to Kenji who got out the car and helped her retrieve the groceries from the trunk of their car.

"Uriko, really? It was only a head injury, so you can relax." Kenji said after he pulled out the last bag and closed the trunk heading inside their house with his young wife leading the way.

"I know, but you just got out less than 3 hours ago. I wouldn't want you to go back there anytime soon. Do you know how scary that looks to me?" Uriko said as she unlocked the door and walked inside with Kenji following behind her. As they walked into the kitchen, they both dropped their bags as Uriko began to unpack the access food and place them where she expected them to be. "I know Uriko, but I'll be okay. Trust me; a hospital is the last place I would ever want to be." Kenji said to her as he began pulling out a few pots and pans before placing them on top of the stove.

"Right." Uriko said after she stored away the last of the groceries they didn't need. Kenji began pulling out food items from some nearby cabinet, as Uriko reached into the refrigerator and pulled out some seasonings such as bell pepper, and onions. She even pulled out celery and other ingredients for the dinner side dish known as _Oyakodon_ her mother taught her to make before she began chopping each up. Kenji took one of the pots to the sink and filled the object with water before setting it back, turning the stove on, and reaching for the bottle containing veggie oil. He poured no more than a cap full as he poured the greasy substance into the slowly bubbling water. Uriko was cutting up her last few products, before she called out to Kenji. "Can you start that meat, please?"

"Sure." Kenji pulled the packet of beef and pork from the pack, lightly dabbed a few squirts of grease in a frying pan, and turned on the burner, he cut the beef and pork pieces up just a bit before placing them in the pan. After that was done he lightly seasoned the meat with the original powdery seasoning, as he cooked down the meat. Nearly half way ready, Uriko came behind him and poured half of the seasoning she had finished cutting, before she took some chicken and started slicing chunks of that meat as well.

With his water bubbling, Kenji grabbed the box of noodles and placed the entire box within the water. As Uriko finished her tasks –including stirring the beef, pork, and its accessories, she removed the contents out into a bowl and placed her new batch of sliced chicken-with the seasonings, within the pan.

"So there's a duck, a rooster, and a squirrel who talks about the differences in their lives and how people address them." Kenji began, stirring the food he'd been working on.

"Really, Kenji?" Uriko said as she stared at him. "I've already heard this joke." Uriko told him as she emptied the pan of the cooked chicken and its minions in an empty bowl, before she walked to the opposing side of the kitchen to prepare a salad.

"Oh really?" Kenji questioned.

"Yes. Somewhere along the line, the duck talks about their love for chicks, the rooster gets into a heated debate with the duck about how roosters can't resist the love for _cock_le doodle doo and how it made history, but realizes what he says, when the squirrel interjects and ends the joke with 'At least you two aren't obsessed over _nuts._'. That joke is terrible." Uriko ended; Kenji shook his head.

"Well, I can see your uneasiness and I was trying to lighten the mood. I told you, you don't have to worry about me, I'm fine." Kenji told her, as he reached down to grab a strainer, placed it in the sink before carrying the noodles to that location and dumping the noodle contents within the kitchen accessory drainer.

Uriko sighed before she turned away from her salad and faced Kenji's half turned posture."I know, but Kenji it happened so fast! I mean, one minute I see you fine and well in the bathroom, the next minute you're on the floor barely conscious! I was so shaken up; you could've died hadn't Alice came as soon as I called and escorted you to the hospital before Tsukiumi took over! I could've lost you, Kenji! And what's worse is I would've lost you on the same night I… Faked another impersonation, but this time being a girl who thought she was ready for sexual intimacy!" Uriko exclaimed, while sorrow filled tears beginning to run rapidly down her face. Kenji released his grip on the pot and ran over to her to comfort her with his welcoming embrace. She immediately snuggled closer to him as she sobbed out her regret and hurt.

"Uriko, sweetie; it's alright, so just calm down. Look at me." Kenji said sweetly before cupping her chin in his hand, lightly commanding her to glance at him. "I'm not going anywhere, do you understand me? I don't care what happens to me, even if it's fatal; I'm going to be right here with you, every step of the way. I finally got the one person in my life I want to be with, I don't want to lose that, and I won't lose that; meaning you, Uriko. I mean those three little words when I say them to you, I really love my wife; and if I have to fight _Death_ itself before it claims me or try to take me from you, then I'll do it. Don't think negative; and that stunt you pulled, don't hold it against yourself; I want you to be ready when you're really ready for it. So please, no more tears, okay?" Kenji told her with the fiercest, sincerest promise he's ever made to Uriko. Uriko couldn't speak out the emotions she felt at that moment, she honestly couldn't be happier to have a man as great as Kenji.

"Thank you, Kenji. I love you too." Uriko said before she cupped Kenji's face within her hands in a sudden kiss. The lovely, passionate sensation sent a gentle love chill up both their spines; once they departed, they embraced each other before returning back to their unprepared dinner.

_And Then…_

With dinner ready, they began to set the table and place the food on their plates before taking their seats. As they ate, it was Kenji who decided to strike up a conversation first.

"So how was the college algebra class you went to as I was in solitude?" After his question he took a huge hunk of food off his plate and onto his utensil before stuffing it in his mouth.

"Uh, first off, I wouldn't refer to the hospital as a place of solitude, but I graciously appreciate you censoring the 'h' word to try and keep that image from my mind." Uriko gave him a sincere smile before he repeated the same emotional reaction towards her. "And secondly, I don't know if hard is even the right word to use as a response for that question." Uriko said feeling regret for signing up for that class. Kenji couldn't help but chuckle. "I mean, I already hate math; somehow I managed to pass Dickinson's class in high school; I choose to go to college to at least further my education and get some kind of degree to work within a different career field, and what's worse is I don't even know how I got through Elementary, and Intermediate with the grades I made. Its total crap, I mean who knows if I'll get a miracle passing grade this time?" Uriko complained.

"Well, do you have anybody who can sit with you and teach that stuff to you so maybe you can understand it better?" Kenji asked her.

Uriko had just taken a bite of her food before she responded back to Kenji. "Well, they did have this woman who came up to me and asked me, '_Are you okay? Do you need help in anyway?_' The only thing I was doing was sitting there, complaining, and grunting in frustration."

Kenji began to shake his head at his young wife, when the last thing she said triggered a memorizing sensation in his head…

'_Memory…_'

The voices; all those strange voices began to talk to him. Some asked him questions he couldn't hear because they were faint and unclear with how low the voices had been. A few others had been calling his name in either agony or hatred. As for the others, each of them would speak out in broken sentences that had no end or maybe even any meaning at all. Each voice would bother him tremendously, they were irritating; there were no bodies around him to push away or shake the voices into stopping their low pitched continuous ranting and raving. _Screeeeeech_! Kenji had obviously been in his Zoanthrope form due to the sound of its voice when he grabbed a hold of his head and tightened his eyes in aggravation before making the irking sound of annoyance. The voices had no end; they came and so did more and more different voices along with them. Kenji screamed only for it to sound more like a shrilled screech from his beast form, when the only stand out voice, which could've portrayed as one of the broken voices, let out a gasp.

"_Ah! What the heck is that thing?!"_ The voice sounded completely different than all the voices, but the unique voice eventually faded in and out of the others making them more and more irritating than they had been before.

Kenji let out an exhausted, aggravating, grunt/growl with his mole voice, as the anonymous, unique, voice he heard over all of them seem to draw closer to him.

"_What a strange creature? It might just be deformed or something, maybe even a lab experiment gone wrong…?" _The voice began to fade out once again as the other voices around him began to get louder, but stayed in a low tune, like as if more voices had been included. _"Are you okay? Do you need help in anyway?"_ The voice said growing tremendously closer than he had anticipated, but by then Kenji had snipped the last of his patience string and clawed out in anger towards his so called twin (who magically appeared). Kenji began swearing screech's out in madness before the last of the fading voices vanished and a realistic scream flooded the air around them. Even though the scream would've stopped him, strangely his body continued to lash out against his will…

'_Memory Termination…'_

"Kenji? Hello, earth to Kenji? Are you still listening to me?" Uriko asked as she sweetly shook Kenji out of his daze. Kenji blinked numerous times before reality came back to him; as he looked onto Uriko. He glanced down at his hands trying to put together this puzzling tale of visual events that came to him unsuspectingly.

"Yeah, I'm still listening, I just thought I heard something coming from outside." Kenji stated before returning back to his partially empty plate. Uriko furrowed her eyebrows and leaned towards and away from the table to peer through the crevices of the draped curtained window.

"I don't see anybody?" Uriko replied back.

"Well, sweetie; I did say I thought, it's not a guarantee." Kenji said, slightly smiling back at his young wife.

Something about Uriko's curious, puzzled face triggered the reenactment of the bizarre visual memory of a strange, shadowy figured, person he previously encountered before. Kenji tore his gaze away from his wife and shook a little common sense back into him, before he took a hold of his drink and swallowed it down. Uriko was about to start her investigative questioning mechanism of harassing queries when their home phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Uriko shouted, before bolting out of her chair and heading straight for the phone.

"Ohgami residents, Uriko speaking?" Uriko answered. Kenji stared at his wife as she waited for a response.

"Oh, hey, girlie! What's up?" Uriko spoke. "Oh, not too much of anything really; I'm just enjoying dinner with my husband. Why, what's up? What are you up too…?... Oh, that's nice, and yeah he's fine… What was that?" Uriko questioned. She pulled the phone part way from her ear and spoke to Kenji. "Arias and Jashad said hey."

Kenji nodded his head towards her, clarifying a greeting in return.

"He said hi as well… Oh, really...?... Wow! Umm, well I don't know. I mean I'll ask him, but I don't know if I'm too comfortable with playing a game like that?" Uriko said with concern in her voice.

"What's going on?" Kenji heard himself asking as he arose from his seat and over to Uriko; trying to ignore the reoccurring memory that seemed to plague his mind. Standing nearby her person, Uriko removed the phone from her ear again.

"Arias asked if we could come over, they have been dying to play this 'Adult Game' called _Dirty Minds_ for a while now, but they could never find any other players." Uriko retold.

"What kind of mess is that?" Kenji asked, clearly confused.

"I don't know, but she said it'll at least give us some time to get out and chill together as friends at their place."

"Well, I suppose. I don't have a problem with it. And besides, if it's a guessing or a charades kind of game, it'll keep my mind focused and thinking as much as I can. I mean, with the head injury and all, I have to make sure my mind is fully functional." Kenji said. He had really been referring to the memory that kept evolving more and more evidence when something would trigger in his mind. Even though he would tell Uriko about them, he couldn't put any of them in words; would she judge him or say it's the effects of the head injury and worry about him afterwards? No, he would keep it concealed. At least until he figured out what had happened?

"But, what if it's provocative? I mean, this is Arias and Jashad we're talking about…?" Uriko said, cutting off Kenji's train of thoughts, when Jashad's loud voice sounded off in the phone.

"I heard that!"

"Sorry!" Uriko couldn't help but say back.

"Well, if it gets too out of hand, we'll leave or stop playing; and also, no offense to you, my love. But it'll be nice to meet everybody again after a week of solitude." Kenji said walking away to clear off the table.

"Again with the vocabulary!" Uriko exclaimed before returning to the phone. "Alright, Kenji convinced me. We'll be there, momentarily." Uriko said. Afterwards, she said her good byes and hung up the phone before aiding Kenji. "I can't believe we're going to do this."

"Uriko, Uriko, Uriko. It's not going to harm us in anyway, and besides, it's a game. What's the worse that the game can do?" Kenji asked, putting the last of the things away.

"If you say so." Uriko said low. Kenji walked to her before landing a kiss on her forehead. He wondered off to the bedroom, with Uriko falling behind him grabbing a few belongings before proceeding out the door.

_Arriving At the Harris' Residence…_

"Uriko! No, slow down! STOP! No, I mean go, just decrease your speed!" Kenji screamed.

"My bad!" Uriko exclaimed.

"Uriko, you're going to hit the tree! You have to stay on your side of the street, just pull in this area so we can get in the house!" Kenji screamed holding on tightly to the door frames of the car; bracing for some kind of impact. Uriko stopped the vehicle by mashing down on the brakes without easing on it, making them both lunge forward with the upper portion of their body in a partial whip-lashing way. Once Kenji pulled back into his seat, he began to rub his neck and looked at Uriko in confusion.

"We'll deal with this later." He said, exiting the car.

"I'm sorry." Uriko said, removing herself from the car and locking the doors. Before they got a chance to stand in front of the door, Arias swung the door open with a big smile.

"Hey, I'm glad y'all made it! I heard the screeching of tires and I knew it had to be y'all."

"I suppose so." Kenji said entering the house.

"Very stereotypical of you." Uriko said back to her female friend, while entering the house.

_Meanwhile…_

As the girls began to interact and converse among each other, while setting the table to begin the game, Kenji pulled Jashad aside from the others to speak in private.

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?" Jashad asked leaning back against the counter top with his arms and legs crossed over each other.

"I've been having strange things happening to me that I don't want to bring up to, you know who. Well, they're really images that come anonymously when somebody says something similar to the memory, or a face that was made. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it has been happening quite frequently since I left the hospital." Kenji said to Jashad.

"Well, is it the same image or something?" He questioned.

"Yeah, except new evidence begins to unravel before something pulls me away from remembering everything."

"Well, are they images of how you injured yourself that day?" Jashad questioned him.

"Sort of." Kenji lied. _'Man, I'm becoming a compulsive liar.'_ Kenji thought to himself with a terrible sense of regret.

"Oh well, in that case, usually when someone falls and hits their head, occasionally; if the person recovers and can barely remember anything, pieces of their memory retraces the mind until the memory is complete. It's pretty common if you ask me; you just wait until the forgotten memory comes back again and it should all be over." Jashad answered.

'_What if the nightmare is never over?'_ Kenji thought; his mind flashing back to the mysterious man he encounters continuously. Jashad came beside Kenji and put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't let it get to you, accidents happen. Just think of it this way, you have a wife to take care; think about her safety and the love she has for you, so all the doubts you have will be pushed aside."

Kenji glanced at Jashad, before a slight smile appeared. "Thanks."

"Hey, boys! The game is ready, so let's play." Arias said aloud taking a seat. With each person taking their own individual seats, Kenji walked to Uriko, bent down to give her an unexpected kiss on the mouth. The kiss sent chills down her spine, and she couldn't help but feel the love connection he ensured upon her by it. Once he pulled away, the opposing couple smiled at the others while Kenji took his seat. Uriko's cheeks went pink with fluster, as Arias began to go over the rules of the game.

"Okay! Simple, the game is called _Dirty Minds_ for a reason; the only problem is you're not supposed to think dirty with each card. The game is similar to charades, besides acting out, but instead you think about the different things in the world. Now, the red deck of cards is the only cards we pull to read off the hints, but not giving answers until someone gives up, loses a turn, or y'all can't guess the correct answer. As for the black deck, each player who gets the correct answer pulls a card based off of the clues. For example, if one of us reads off one clue and someone gets it right you can pull three scoring cards-which is the black deck- if someone does two clues and someone gets it right, you can pull two, and of course with the rest of the clues given then you can only pull one scoring card. When all the clues are given and no one gets the correct answer, the person who reads off each hint proceeds with the next card until someone gets it right.

"If you draw a **wild card**, it counts for any letter the player may want; if anybody pulls a **draw two cards**, then they pull two scoring cards; the worst cards are the **dash "-" cards**, which means absolutely nothing, and the **lose a card**, you simply place a card you obtained at the bottom of the deck. The winner is determined when they collect enough cards to spell out the word "D-I-R-T-Y" and let us know they win. Other than that, they say whoever purchased the game can go first, and we go around the table from the left, all the way around. Now we can start." Arias finished, grabbing a red card ready to begin.

"Sounds simple enough." Kenji said.

"Alright, here's the first clue: -When my basket is stuck in front of you, you have to put it out."

Everyone around the table looked dumbfounded. Jashad was to the left of Arias, meaning he had to guess.

"I don't know, Easter?"

"Nope, Uriko?"

"Uh, is it the bicycle basket?"

"Nope, Kenji?"

"Hum, basket? What is it some kind of offering?"

"In some way you can say that, what's your answer?"

"How about charity?"

"No. The next clue is: -Coming inside me can be a religious experience?" Besides Jashad; meaning Arias as well; every bodies face went completely pink. "Oh jeez, um, Jashad?" Arias said.

"Church." Jashad said.

"That's it, you got it right." Arias said, putting the card away as he went to grab two scoring cards.

"How'd you know that was the answer?" Uriko asked.

"When Kenji asked if it had anything to do with offering, and the hint said the word religious, I assumed that had to be the answer."

"Dang, I forgot how good this guy was." Kenji said shaking his head. Jashad, was just about to gloat over his victory when he seen the cards he pulled.

"Ah, darn it to heck!" Jashad said putting both of the cards under the scoring deck.

"What happened?" Arias asked.

"I pulled out the letter "I" and **lose a card**. I should've expected that." He said shaking his head and making a grab for a different red card.

"Well, serves you right for out smarting us." Uriko said.

"Shh, anyway, here we go with the first clue: -I can handle twelve men at once." Uriko put her head down on the table with her face growing hot with embarrassment while Kenji and Arias began to giggle. "I wish I never pulled this card; that sounded so wrong in so many ways nobody can ever imagine." Jashad said shaking his head again, as everyone began to laugh.

"Umm, is it one of those big celebrity houses that have those small theaters in it?" Uriko answered.

"Nah, Kenji?"

"Umm, is it a really small jailhouse?"

"Kenji, your answers are on the right track in relation to the answer, but not exactly what you say. You're close, but no, Arias?"

"Aw, man. I wasn't paying attention to what Kenji said, uh, is it a bar or a big booth at a restaurant?"

"No and no, you can only give one answer. Next clue: -If I'm hung, you can do it again…" Everyone began to laugh a little again. "I'm beginning to hate this card." With that comment everyone began to laugh again.

"It's like if you start smart talking or acting snobby to someone karma hits you instantaneously." Uriko said.

"I know right, what's your answer?"

"Let me think, umm, jailhouse; is it related to court or something?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Hum, twelve men; something big enough to hold twelve men? Oh, a jury!"

"She got it!" Jashad said, happily putting the card away as Uriko reached for two scoring cards.

"Yes! I got a "D" and an "I", I'm so close to being dirty!" Uriko cheered.

"That's what she said." Everyone besides Uriko said, before they all laughed together.

_And Then…_

It was nearly midnight when they ran out of cards to play, Jashad, Arias and Kenji won about two games with Uriko in the lead by winning three. "That game was very sensual, but I totally enjoyed owning you all!" Uriko said to them all.

"Well, we're just glad we all got a chance to enjoy ourselves tonight." Jashad said back as he placed the cards back into the box.

"Yeah." Arias started to say when her partially made sentence had been cut off with a stifling yawn. "Maybe next time you won't be so lucky."

"Maybe, but for now we have to get some sleep. Arias and I have some running around to do tomorrow." Jashad said to them as he glared down at his wife who was slowly falling asleep in the chair.

"Okay, I have school tomorrow and Kenji will need to get a checkup before he can go back to work." Uriko said, taking the game box from Jashad and placing it on a desk nearby.

"Aw, I forgot all about that checkup tomorrow!" Kenji said back shockingly. Jashad snickered and picked up his now sleeping wife bridal style.

"Wouldn't we all. Well, thank you guys again for coming by; give me a second to put her in the bed and I'll walk you all out." He said before disappearing into the bedroom. Once he returned, Jashad escorted them to the front door and wished them both farewells.

As Kenji and Uriko made it to the car, a thought came back to Kenji. "Hold on a second." Kenji stated.

"What?" Uriko questioned. He walked towards Uriko, and sat in the driver's seat before he pulled the seat back as far as it could go. "What are you doing? Didn't you hear Tsukiumi when she told you not to operate a vehicle until she knew you were completely one-hundred percent?" Uriko informed Kenji.

"Oh, I know what she said, and I remember it word for word." Kenji said setting up the car the way he pictured.

"Then why are you in the driver's seat?" She asked.

"To assist you. I'm going to reteach you how to drive." Kenji said patting his lap to acknowledge her that he wanted her to take a seat. She was just about to press on and say she didn't need any help, but he pulled her by the hand. She sighed and made her person comfortable in his lap before starting the vehicle; just then Evanescence's _My Immortal_ began to play.

Throughout the slow and steady drive, his grip on her hands was sweet to the touch. He spoke to her passionately as they drove peacefully within the neighborhood that their friends lived; he told her how to bask in the beauty of the night; how to take in the cloudy, moonlit sky to avoid pesky individuals. He acknowledged her on how to steer cautiously, and break easily, no matter the situation. He even taught her how to drive within the lane, using her signaling lights when needed, and notice the signs and landmarks so she wouldn't get lost. She felt so at peace that somehow and without notice they were on the expressway heading home. He let down the windows to allow the sweet feeling breeze to keep her nerves downs; her long flowing hair began to blow freely as Uriko felt the love of driving grow increasingly, and before she realized it, they were home. She parked and turned off the car before turning to Kenji.

"Did that really just happen?" Uriko asked shockingly.

"It sure did." Kenji said back with a smile. Uriko gave him a big hug before whispering a thank you.

_Later that Night…_

After the couple took their showers, they entered their bed and began to fall asleep with Uriko sleeping on her husband's chest, and Kenji's arm wrapped around her frame with the other arm behind his head. Uriko soundlessly went to sleep, but it took Kenji a few minutes to find that restful sensation he had been searching for. Once he had finally gone to sleep, it seemed to be only minutes, but it had been hours when the dream came to him…

The voices again; by the heaven's father the voices had returned. Just remembering how annoying the voices had been prior, bubbled his frustration faster than he anticipated. They seemed to follow him, more and more voices began to speak in that low pitched tune. Anger began to eat away at his patience, and he found that the claws he'd seen countless of times before grew even longer; the long, pointy tips of their razor like talons shined in the darkness of the night. The moonlight may have shined bright and radiant, making the night feel peaceful, but in his reality world, the moon along with the voices had been coaxing him into a temptation filled murderer. Then, they all came at once; voices and more voices spoke to him endlessly. As the anger reached a higher degree, Kenji began to scream, allowing his Zoanthrope screech to sound off. He heard; over all the voices, a gasp that sounded different than all the rest, along with another voice. _"Ah! What the heck is that thing?!"_ Kenji began to growl, the voice that sounded different than the other voices that played around in his head, blended within the other voices. Even more voices began to carry around him and talk in crazy sentences or calling his name. He tried to remain calm, tried to keep from hurting himself or anyone else. _'I must not give in, I can't give in! This is all just a dream, a strange dream that I will wake up from!'_ Kenji thought as he placed his Zoanthrope claws on top of his head trying to shake the voices away.

The ceasing did not stop, as a matter of fact, there were more and more voices interfering. As Kenji used the last of his will to keep himself intact, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck like as if something struck him. He screamed out a screech before falling to his knees, and tucked his head in between his legs as more voices began to surround him. He barely heard the different voice speak out to him because of the other voices. _"What a strange creature? It might just be deformed or something, maybe even a lab experiment gone wrong…?"_ Kenji was nearly done; the aggravation that had been swelling up inside of him was beginning to settle in. He could barely move from his position without a twinge of pain elapsing to his neck, and more voices beginning to stir from out of nowhere. All of a sudden, Kenji's body began to shake; he had been whispering obscenities in his mole form, as his body twitched in ire. _"Are you okay? Do you need help in anyway?"_ He just wanted it to stop; everything from the voices to the pain he had been feeling; all of it, he begged for it cease and desist. Unimaginably, he felt a presence in front of him as his anger began to increase; he slowly looked up into the eyes of his malicious twin. As his twin began to laugh at Kenji's position, his twin started talking in the same low voice as the other voices Kenji had been hearing. _'Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it! Stop It! STOP It! Stop IT! STOP IT!'_ Kenji thought in irritation.

His twin began to toy with Kenji. "_Oh, what's wrong? Not getting what you want? Spoiled brat!_" His twin instantly punched Kenji's mole form right in the gut. Kenji's Zoanthrope form doubled over while trying to recollect his breathing, when he felt multiple slaps to his furry face. "_Oh, come on Kenji, hit me, do something? You suppress your anger too much, so come on strike me back with those thick, wicked, claws of yours!_" Kenji felt it; the fire burning inside him. The voices, his twin, his uncontrollable anger wasn't being controlled and without second thought, he lashed out so swiftly to the growing closer presence with a fourth of his fury placed into the blow. At that given moment, the voices stopped. He felt as if he had just seen the light in the dark area because everything had been so clear that he barely knew the reason why he was mad before, and then he heard it; the scream.

He stared in horror at what he'd just done, he wounded someone. _'N-NO!'_ Kenji thought in a freaking out tone. Just then, he heard laughter; Kenji turned his head and as awkward as it may seem, his twin jumped right into his own body. Instead of Kenji having complete control over his body, it was now the other way around.

The wound was inflicted upon the boy's stomach, he clutched it and cried; begging and pleading for mercy. Kenji forced himself to stop whatever was about to happen, but he had no control, it seemed to him that his twin had possessed him somehow. The mole pulled the boy to his feet, when Kenji realized who the child was, _'Sauzi!'_ Kenji thought. The mole took a hold of the child's arms; Kenji fought hard to keep this nightmare from happening, he tried to regain control of his beast form when he heard the voice of his twin. "_Usually when imposters stumble across something they aren't supposed to see, they get punished._" Something about the last thing he said made Kenji's heart fall. _"NO!" _Kenji heard himself screaming even though his mole form only let out a terrifying screech. His Zoanthrope form held a nice firm grip on his Sauzi's arms, when the sound of bones breaking breezed the atmosphere. Sauzi screamed an ear-pitching sound of pain, which echoed through the air, as his arms were stripped from his body. Pools of blood surrounded the teenagers feet as he collapsed on his knees, screaming his pain, while his eyes focused on the missing body parts he no longer had. _"NO, NO, NO! This can't be happening, make it stop! He doesn't deserve this!"_ Kenji screamed out loud in his mole voice.

Sauzi began to try to scurry away in a panicked state, but his feet slipped on the pool of blood he created with his missing limbs. His mole form threw his arms away, and took a hold of Sauzi's legs. Sauzi screamed, and just as a worm, moved and tried to kick the claws off. "_Imposters must endure punishment, and since you are so dependent on_ these_ legs of yours, how about we make it easier for you since they don't seem to work when you need them the most._" His twin spoke again.

_"NO! Stop it, leave him alone!"_ Kenji screamed. Kenji tried to dismiss his beast form, but again, he had no control over his body whatsoever. The sound of broken bones played off again like a dreadful song on repeat, Sauzi screamed yet another gut busting scream as more and more of the crimson liquid splattered against the concrete. _"Got dammit! I said stop, he's just a kid, let him go!"_ Kenji screamed out.

Sauzi's body lay on the ground; helpless, he laid there as the crimson blood squirted and fell innocently on the ground. Kenji felt his eyes well up with tears, this wasn't right, he didn't deserve this. Kenji felt hopeless; he turned away from the battered boy and threw his head in his hands. (With this POV from Kenji, it's more like a internal piece of his life form, not his external body which is controlled by the twin.)

"_I hope you didn't think that this is the end of it? My torturing has just begun._" His twin stated. Suddenly, his mole form took the head of the boy –and Sauzi's remaining body form sort of ended up in a body upward position- while the beast half flipped himself into the air. _"Oh, no, no, NO! You can't do that, STOP!" _Kenji yelled out once more. The mole jabbed his nails deep into Sauzi and began spinning his head around until it eventually popped off like a cork. Throughout the entire head ripping scene, Kenji hadn't even realized he'd been screaming; he stopped himself abruptly and fell to his knees sobbing to himself. The boy's head was in his claws; his twin laughed horrendously, as he felt the claws from the mole reach into the child's mouth and rip it apart before pulling his tongue out; extending its length, had that been possible.

"_Oh Kenji. Do you see what you have done? Now you're nothing but an innocent, manipulative, antagonist._" His twin said to Kenji. Speaking to him in a way that made Kenji think he was the maniac.

Releasing the head of Sauzi, Kenji's senses of hearing picked up two voices. With control coming back to him, Kenji found himself running away as swiftly as possible, using as must energy as he could muster to gain more speed.

Far away enough from the body, he jumped, and before he knew it his body came in contact with lake water. He wanted to drown as his beast form gave away and his human form reappeared underwater. He couldn't live with himself knowing that he killed someone; Kenji, an innocent, sweet boy that tried to create a better life and pull his new life away from his old assassin life. Why would his mind make him relive this moment, why won't he just die?

He felt slight faint under the water; he must be enduring death right now? Suddenly, the moons radiant shine glazed over the water, when a beam of light hit a gleaming object nearby him, underwater. The shining light captured his vision, as he peered down at the object, he noticed the wedding band on his finger; reminding him of a certain someone. _'Uriko.'_ Kenji thought. Instantly he felt relief, he felt and saw his twin leaving his body at the thought of his wife. His twin had a disgusted face reflected at him underwater, when an electric shock struck his mind and the previous brutal killing he had forcefully witness internally, fled his mind as if it was amnesia, and his twin vanished.

Kenji was running out of air, he resurfaced the lake water and swam to shore breathing raspy and coughing up water.

"Wh-What just happened? How did I get here? Where am I?" Kenji said, completely confused. He stood, wobbly, and took a path on the sidewalk; wondering aimlessly until he found his home. He walked inside to see the sleeping kitten on the couch; he kneeled before her sleeping silhouette, and ran his wet hand over her face. "You are the only person who gives me the meaning of life." He said...

Kenji awoke cradling Uriko in his arms; she was sound asleep, and his hair along with his sleeping wear had been soaked as if he took an evening swim. They were in the living room of the house; he supposed that he had been sleepwalking when he retraced the memories of the brutal killing he inflicted on Sauzi. His memory had to have made his body wonder to each location he visited that night as each image began to unravel the horror that played. Upon remembering what he had done, Kenji held Uriko close to his body and began to sob with regret awaking the kitten.

"Kenji? Kenji? What's wrong? Baby, what's the matter with you? Why are we out here? Why are you soaked? What's going on?" Uriko questioned. His embrace tightened as his body shook even harder than before, due to the uncontrollable sobs he issued, and Uriko, sleepy and confused hugged her Husband back with concern.

"I'm so sorry." Was all he managed to mumble out, when his sobs became louder and his body started to shake even more so with despair and sorrow.

* * *

(A/N): Complete. Sincerest apologies to all my fans; I had fairly little time to work on this story, with school, a planned vacation that may or may not happen, and work. It's all been such a big hassle, I even have this other storyline I've been working on for another website that I need to get back to, it's just a load of things on my to-do list that needs completion. For the record, I have a slight image in my head with what I want to do in chapter three, but nothing to drop hints about, all I can say is chapter three will start off where I ended this chapter, or a different setting time frame. Who knows, right? Only time will tell. Now with this chapter, I kind of wanted my readers to think that just because Kenji has this opposing, insensitive side that this chapter would relate to his twin, but it's actually him participating in the antagonistic ways, even though it is against his will. With all this, from this chapter, it will definitely end up as a resulting resolution in the end that I can't wait for. I have a ton of information to release about what will happen, but I rather let the story do all the talking. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up; just expect it when the story comes. Désolé, c'est la vie. Au revoir, et á la prochaine fois.(Translate: Sorry, that's life. Goodbye, until next time.)


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